


Bargain

by PsycoticLollipop



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, Gen, Girls Kissing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-15
Updated: 2016-07-15
Packaged: 2018-07-24 04:34:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7493970
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PsycoticLollipop/pseuds/PsycoticLollipop
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Pansy had started planning her sixteenth birthday party two years in advance. It would start as a quiet soireé with Daphne, Tracey and Millicent because if she didn’t invite Millicent, Tracy wouldn’t stop complaining about thirdwheeling. Both of her parents would be there -mother would leave society matters unattended for a day and father wouldn’t even think of setting foot on the Ministry however many Floo calls he got-. She’d wear a periwinkle blue dress for the evening and change into a flamingo pink one for supper. After, the rest of the guests -an equally selected group of seventy one- would join for cocktails and dance. To end the night perfectly, Draco would be kiss her in the garden under the stars.</p><p>As it approached it became clear that it wasn’t going to go quite as planned.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bargain

**Bargain:** an advantageous purchase, specially one acquired at less than the usual cost. 

Pansy had started planning her sixteenth birthday party two years in advance. It would start as a quiet soireé with Daphne, Tracey and Millicent because if she didn’t invite Millicent, Tracy wouldn’t stop complaining about thirdwheeling. Both of her parents would be there -mother would leave society matters unattended for a day and father wouldn’t even think of setting foot on the Ministry however many Floo calls he got-. She’d wear a periwinkle blue dress for the evening and change into a flamingo pink one for supper. After, the rest of the guests -an equally selected group of seventy one- would join for cocktails and dance. To end the night perfectly, Draco would be kiss her in the garden under the stars.

As it approached it became clear that it wasn’t going to go quite as planned.

Things started to go downhill when Pansy’s mother announced a two weeks trip with her book club to Venice that _ apparently _ didn’t conflict with anything  in her schedule. Pansy didn’t bother correcting her. She knew she’d go either way. Instead, she marched into her father’s studio and dropped a bunch of marbled paper birthday invitations written by hand in prim black ink and decorated with the Parkinson’s crest. 

“The plan is father and daughter bonding time over ice cream brunch at Fortescue. You can work from twelve to four, not a second more. This is the guest list for evening cocktails. This one’s for supper, I’m thinking mediterranean but I could be persuaded otherwise. I’ve already included Ministry acquaintances, political interests and semi-estranged relatives. Afterwards, champagne, a toast to the wonder that is having me in the world and carrot cake.”

“From twelve to four and not a second more.” her father agreed easily. 

And truly it was all so easy that Pansy ought to have known better. Then the confirmations started arriving for the party she was apparently throwing at _ eleven pm _ . Who hosted a dinner party at eleven pm? What was wrong with these people that no one questioned it? The elves ordered marguerite flower centers as if she was some kind of yokel. The cat made a scratching toy of her new flamingo pink -incredibly expensive to be so easily destroyed- dress. The catering cancelled due to a grave case of dragon pox. And all within twelve hours of the party.

***

Giving her father permission to go to work in the morning felt like giving up some kind of hard earned price. Watching Tracey Davis walk out of her fireplace in muggle clothing with a smug smile in her face didn’t feel as much as a slap as Pansy had anticipated. Must’ve been the over exposure. The fireplace lit up twice more to let in Millicent in a truly ill-fitting coral robe and Daphne looking even more appallingly perfect than usual. 

Pansy must’ve looked about to break down in a crying fit if Tracey didn’t voice any of the drags that had ensured her survival in Slytherin’s alpha circle being a halfblood. She awkwardly patted Pansy’s shoulder and marched to the livingroom to start looking for another catering service. Millicent gave her an unsure smile and promised to get her appropriate flower arrangements. She pointed out that she always got an Outstanding in Herbology as if it was supposed to make Pansy feel better. She shuddered as she imagined the table centers filled with mandragoras. 

“Pans, stop being a tosser and go get dressed.” Daphne said pushing her towards the stairs. Her hands were delicate yet firm in Pansy’s shoulders. Soft and unwielding like everything Daphne was or did. Her hands corded through the muscle a couple of times before she kissed Pansy’s cheek and let her go completely. “Take a bath, get dressed, come bother us like a tiny dictator. I promise everything will be done in time.” 

So that’s what she did. 

Tracey invaded her bathroom as she sat in a lavender bubble bath to make her pick between menu options for what now was a cocktail party which’s main event was the birthday cake. She showed the options of the muggle catering she had picked in an ebook that Pansy would never admit owning. They fought over the appetisers, the champagne, the napkins… and surprisingly enough, not about the wine. 

By the time they agreed on everything -and truly Pansy didn’t know why they had to agree if it was  _ her _ party- she felt revitalised and ready to tear her way into The Prophet’s society section. And if she hadn’t been sharing a bedroom with Tracey for six years now and grow accustomed to her totally unsubtle manipulation, she’d attribute it to the power of friendship and her bellic nature.

“Davis, if you stop looking so smug right now I’ll accept it as a birthday present.”

“Please, Parkinson. My presence is a gift on itself.”

Once Tracey left, Pansy made a titanic effort to get out of the bath and into a fluffy pink bathrobe. She was charming her hair dry when there was a knock on the door and Millicent asked for permission to enter, introduced herself and babbled for two whole minutes about how she thought she had made the right decision with the orchids but Pansy should check anyway because she didn’t know what she liked. Pansy took pity on her when she started stuttering and opened the door. They sat on Pansy’s bed and Millicent showed her the flower arrangements she had done herself, the garland with light bulbs, the ivy with white orchids on the staircase… It was artisanal, delicate and more perfect than Pansy’s original order had been.

“Millie, this is absolutely perfect. It’s so pretty I want to scream.”

Millicent blushed, probably because Pansy had never called her Millie in her life, and the red on her cheeks clashed horribly with the bright coral of her robes. She looked like a half cooked lobster and, by the way she sat completely rigid, a very uncomfortable one.

“Did your mother pick your robes?” Pansy asked in a whim. Millicent picked the silk near her leg between her thumb and index fingers and raised it away from her skin with a disgusted look. 

“I didn’t even want to wear robes. I told mum everyone would be wearing dresses but she didn’t listen.” 

Pansy had never paid a lot of attention to Millicent. Their parents knew each other and so did they since they were babies. They always knew they’d go to Hogwarts together, be in Slytherin together. Move in the same circles forever. But next to Daphne, bright and beautiful Daphne, Millicent seemed to fade and lose interest. Pansy knew she exceeded at Herbology and Charms, that she was more comfortable with a beater’s bat in hand than she’d ever been in fancy robes and heeled shoes, and that blueberry scones where her favourite snack because she always had some in the dorm. And that was it. She didn’t knew what Millicent liked or feared or wanted. She didn’t know why Millicent still bothered to try and gain her validation after six years of not getting even her interest. But she knew Millicent disliked robes. 

“Well, you found flowers I like so let me try and find clothes you like.” she concluded getting up from the bed. 

Half an hour, two enlarging spells, unleashing complete chaos on Pansy’s walk in dresser and recruiting the aid of a house elf to change it’s color from Steel Blue to Northern Lights Blue later, Pansy’s backless jumpsuit fit Millicent like a globe and the Valentino stilettos looked like they had never been another color or size. Millicent looked at herself in the boudoir’s mirror as Pansy arranged her black hair in a braided updo she had seen in a muggle magazine. 

“Pansy, I’m really glad you invited me.” 

It ringed true and vulnerable like nothing Pansy had ever said and it felt  _ wrong _ and  _ right _ and truly, that was not the moment to have a life crisis over feelings and how she’s probably not allergic to them as much as she pretends not to have them as a defensive mechanism. Millicent and her eagerness and her tear filled eyes couldn’t do that to her, they had no right. 

“I’m glad too, Millie.” 

Pansy allowed herself a twenty minute break in the schedule to sit down and cry while they hugged each other even if she wasn’t not entirely sure what they’re crying about, but at the twenty minute mark she forced them both up and moving. 

***

Taking into account that only that morning Pansy was sure the party was going to be a disaster and she was going to star in Witch Weekly FAIL section, when the guests started arriving she felt pretty good. Tracey had delivered everything in the muggle catering to the elves and they were making a wonderful work of keeping everyone’s cups full and the apperitives rotating. Millicent’s arrangements made the outside ballroom look like an enchanted garden and everyone stopped by to look at them. Her father arrived on time and every guest complimented her on the party arrangements, 

She was so content, in fact, that when Draco went to say hi with Astoria Greengrass hanging from his arm she smiled and kissed them both on the cheek and sent them in their merry way towards champagne and carrot cake. She feels mature and level-headed and so proud of herself she  _ has to _ find Tracey’s eyes across the room and raise her eyebrows.  _ See?  _  She tries to convey through the sheer magnificence of her eyebrows and the smugness of her smile  _ I’m totally an adult _ . 

Her father made a fantastic toast and Pansy pretended to be humble and surprised as if she didn’t knew that if Daphne had giving him the thumbs up it had to be perfect. The pile of presents kept steadily increasing in the entrance hall, the carrot cake was the perfect match of sweet and citric, the champagne was cold and bubbly. 

When the guests flowed to the garden at the announcement of fireworks she followed and sat besides Davis even if the wet grass was definitely going to ruin her dress forever. Daphne dropped at her other side and held her hand just as the first fireworks shot into the sky exploding into a moving peacock. 

“Good birthday?” Daphne asked letting her head rest in Pansy’s shoulder and entwinning their fingers. Her blonde hair was soft against her skin and it made Pansy shiver. 

“The best birthday.” She agreed. 

A moment later, she reached for Daphne’s cheek thinking that if anything she could blame it on the champagne and pure exhilaration of the moment. Her thumb caressed over a well-sculpted cheekbone and the rest of her fingers made a insistent pressure for her to raise her chin. 

Daphne raised her head as a hippogriff exploded in the sky and rided among the stars. Pansy thought about Tracey’s determination and Millicent’s vulnerability and promptly got distracted by the way Daphne’s lipgloss was at a time pink and sparkling. And then she kissed her. She kept holding her face delicately and she touched her lips with hers. And they were soft and wet and caressing hers back and, a moment later, smiling. 

Pansy took a moment to breath and Daphne giggled and crossed her arms at Pansy’s neck. Davis made a sound like a dying animal and Millicent, sitting at Davis’ other side, said that trully that had been a long time coming. Then she apologized for leaving grass stains in Pansy’s jumpsuit. 

Pansy couldn’t help but laugh at that. Because she was laying on the grass with the three people she liked best in the world and Daphne Greengrass still had her arms around her neck and a leg between hers that Pansy hadn’t noticed there and she was smiling as bright as the fireworks exploding in the sky. 

“The best birthday ever.” 

Daphne smirked and pulled her closer. 

“I’ll make next year’s even better.”

**Author's Note:**

> Come talk to me about girls kissing girls on tumblr (@phereinnike). Also I'm accepting prompts!


End file.
